The Detroit Lions have officially closed out their final preseason game of the 2024-25 season with a victory over Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, August 24, 24-17. Now, as head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes strive to cut their roster down to 53 men, there are some Detroit Lions players that are getting praised as being among the best in the NFL for 2024, according to the experts at ESPN.
ESPN’s Top 100 Players Going Into the New Season
On August 26, ESPN released its annual list of the top 100 best NFL players going into the new season. For a second consecutive year, the San Francisco 49ers have the most players within the top 100 at eight.
As for methodology, ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters “weighed in on each player with a 2024 outlook, ESPN Stats & Information provided a signature statistic to know, and fantasy analyst Mike Clay projected a stat line for the upcoming season.”
The Detroit Lions notched an impressive six players inside the top 100.
Coming in at No. 68 is tight end Sam LaPorta, followed by quarterback Jared Goff at No. 65, running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 52, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown at No. 25 and offensive tackle Penei Sewell at No. 24 and EDGE Aidan Hutchinson at No. 19.
Jared Goff Beats Matthew Stafford
Goff’s ranking at No. 65 is higher than he was in 2023, which was No. 91. For those curious, former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is No. 92 on the list.
“Goff has totally revitalized his career in Detroit after being traded from the Rams in 2021,” writer Eric Woodyard noted in the article. “He ranked second in passing yards (4,575) and in completions (407) and fourth in passing TDs (30) in 2023. The former first overall pick signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension this offseason and is viewed as the guy for the Lions after leading them to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991 last season. Detroit’s front office has high hopes that with Goff as the starter, he can lead the organization to its first Super Bowl.”
Woodyard noted that “Goff ranks fourth in the NFL with 30,429 passing yards and ninth with 185 passing touchdowns.”
Aidan Hutchinson Is the Only Lion Inside the Top 20
Coming in at No. 19, Hutchinson, a former Michigan Wolverine, was the only Lions player to make it inside the top 20. Hutchinson amassed 64 pressures in 2023, which ranked No. 3 in the NFL, according to ESPN.
“Coming off his first Pro Bowl season, the second overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft has big expectations as he enters Year 3,” Woodyard noted. “Hutchinson became the first player in NFL history to register at least 15 sacks and four interceptions through his first two seasons and the star edge rusher could be in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year if he can help take Detroit’s defense to the next level. He has put in a ton of work in the offseason to become a more consistent threat.”
The Detroit Lions open their regular season Sunday, September 8, at Ford Field in Detroit against the Los Angeles Rams.
